[Marital violence after birth].

Objective: The purpose was to estimate the prevalence of marital violence during the year after childbirth in France.
Methods: a survey has been carried out in three maternity units among primipara and secondipara women in 1993-1994. The women were interviewed in the three days after the delivery and they received a postal questionnaire 5 and 12 months later. The analysis includes 706 women.
Results: the prevalence of marital violence during the 12 months after childbirth is equal to 4.1% (2.6%-5.6%). This percentage is higher among women living an unstable relationship with their partner or when the partner has not a job. These women who reported marital violence had a higher prevalence of previous miscarriage. They used more often psychotropic drugs and reported more often depressive symptoms than the other women.
Conclusion: physicians may be helpful by listening and counseling these women who receive low emotional and social support.